A Garland For Consumers: Will The Garland Case Provide Safeguards For Vulnerable Consumers?

Author

Holly Reid

Organization

Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)

Published

2000

Summary

This report analyses the effects of the October 1998 Supreme Court of Canada (Garland v. Consumers' Gas) decision stating that the Late Payment Penalties (LPP) charged by Consumers' Gas may have constituted a criminal interest rate contrary to section 347 of the Criminal Code. The paper first describes the legislative history of section 347, briefly compares and contrasts the experiences of Canadian consumers to those in the US and the UK related to protection from usurious charges, and describes the policy and industrial implications of the Garland case from a consumer standpoint. It concludes that there must be a cohesive strategy with which to protect consumers from exploitive credit arrangements and increased proxy and non-proxy debt.

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OCA Funded Research
This research received funding support through the Office of Consumer Affairs' Contributions Program.

Contact information

Source: Consumer Policy Research Database